15 October 2023 , 07:33
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From next month, everyone in the UK born before a certain date could see up to £600 land in their bank accounts.
This cash boost is designed to help with rising winter energy bills and is getting a special top-up as Brits grapple with household expenses. To qualify, you need to be born before specific dates. Eligibility for the payment was decided last month, based on people's circumstances and ages during the week of September 18 to September 24, known as the qualifying week.
Standard amounts of £100 to £300 will be boosted by an extra £150 or £300 added on top, taking the total to between £250 and £600. Some 11.6 million people across the UK received the previous Winter Fuel Payment and a similar number are expected to benefit this year.
Letters are being sent out in October or November detailing how much you will receive in the Winter Fuel Payment. Most payments are made automatically in November or December.
Some 11.6 million people across the UK received the previous Winter Fuel Payment (Getty Images)To be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you must have been born before September 25, 1957. The amount you receive depends on your age. If you were born before September 25, 1943, you could get up to £600. If you were born between then and the cut-off date of September 25, 1957, the amount will vary.
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Most people automatically receive the Winter Fuel Payment if they're eligible and receive any of the following:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carers Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
If you don't receive any of these, you'll need to claim if you haven't had the Winter Fuel Payment before or have deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment.
How to claim the £600 payment
If you're not automatically eligible, you can claim your Winter Fuel Payment by post from September 18, 2023, or over the phone from October 4, 2023. The deadline to make a claim for winter 2023 to 2024 is March 31, 2024.
To claim by post, fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form for UK residents and send it to:
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LR
If you're planning to claim by phone, ring the Winter Fuel Payment Centre at 0800 731 0160, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Before you dial, make sure you have:
- Your National Insurance number
- Your bank or building society details
- The date you were married or entered into a civil partnership (if applicable)
Payments can't be made into a National Savings and Investments (NSandI) account unless you already receive other benefits paid into this account. You'll also need to state whether, during the qualifying week, you were:
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- In hospital receiving free in-patient treatment
- In a residential care home or Ilford Park Resettlement Home
- In prison
How much Winter Fuel Payment you will get
If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible
You will get either:
- £500 if you were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
- £600 if you were born before September 25, 1943
If you live with someone else who is eligible
Your payment may be different if you get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
If you do not get any of the benefits listed above
You will get a payment of either:
- £250 if you and the person you live with were both born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £250 if you were born between 25 September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957, but the person you live with was born before September 25, 1943
- £350 if you were born before September 25, 1943, but the person you live with was born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £300 if you and the person you live with were both born before September 25, 1943
If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits listed above
One of you will get a payment of either:
- £500 if both of you were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
- £600 if one or both of you were born before September 25, 1943
If you get any of the benefits (not as part of a joint claim)
You'll get a payment of either:
- £500 if you were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £600 if you were born before September 25, 1943
If you live in a care home and you are eligible
You will get either:
- £250 if you were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £300 if you were born before September 25, 1943
Those who live in a care home are not eligible if both of the following apply:
- You get Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- You lived in a care home for the whole time from June 26 to September 24, 2023
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